The Hard Tackle lists four potential candidates to replace Antonio Conte at Tottenham, with the Italian tactician likely to leave.
Daniel Levy seems to be constantly walking on eggshells, with fans not happy with the results during his reign as the Tottenham chairman, with the latest impending failure being the tenure of Antonio Conte. And with every passing day, it looks increasingly likely that the Italian tactician will leave the north London club.
Conte was reluctant to take the Tottenham job when before they went for Nuno Espirito Santo at the start of the 2021/22 season. But after the Premier League bigwigs sacked the Portuguese manager, Conte finally wilted and arrived at the helm at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
The 53-year-old arrived at the north London club with a proven pedigree of delivering silverware. But Conte has failed to stamp his authority and get his team anywhere near lifting an elusive trophy. And Tottenham will likely part ways with him at the end of the season when his contract ends.
Many are pointing at Levy and his methods being the major problem. And that might not be unfounded, with Conte being the second highly-successful manager after Jose Mourinho to endure a sinking image and fortunes at the club. Meanwhile, he has not done himself any favours after a sensational rant after Tottenham’s 3-3 draw with Southampton.
🗣️ “They're used to it here. Don't play for something important. They don't want to play under pressure or under stress. Tottenham's story is this. 20 years there is the owner & they never won something. Why?”
Antonio Conte is absolutely FUMING in his post match presser 😤 pic.twitter.com/jPqMxnZUtQ
— Football Daily (@footballdaily) March 18, 2023
Conte has since clarified that his outburst was directed at the players instead of the decision-makers. But the writing might be on the wall, especially with the Italian manager showing no inclination towards penning an extension. And with that in mind, The Hard Tackle lists four candidates who can replace Conte at Tottenham.
Thomas Tuchel
Mention anyone remotely associated with Chelsea in the same breath as Tottenham, and the fireworks go off. But that is not the case with former managers, considering several have experienced the challenges at both clubs.
Conte himself is a former Chelsea manager. And it seems if you have managed Chelsea previously in your career, you will somehow find your way to the Tottenham hot seat, too. Jose Mourinho and Andre Vilas-Boas have also experienced the same phenomenon. And Tuchel might be the next in line.
Rio Ferdinand talking about Thomas Tuchel. pic.twitter.com/U8BgnISuz8
— Frank Khalid OBE (@FrankKhalidUK) March 13, 2023
The German tactician made an immediate impact at Chelsea, delivering the UEFA Champions League title only four months after arriving at Stamford Bridge. And such a pedigree should compel Daniel Levy to open his chequebook and hire Tuchel.
The former Chelsea manager has reportedly already made a demand before arriving at the north London club. While that is fair game, Tuchel also has a tendency to clash with the board of a team he is managing, much like Conte. But despite that red flag, the 49-year-old has the quality to fit in nicely with Tottenham’s ethos.
Mauricio Pochettino
The next name on our list is a familiar name. And this manager might feel he has unfinished business at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium after leaving the job mere months after guiding them to the UEFA Champions League final. We are, of course, talking about Mauricio Pochettino.
The Argentine manager is the closest any manager has gone to delivering silverware at Tottenham. He transformed the north London giants into Premier League title contenders. And as iterated, Pochettino also guided them to the Champions League final, where they lost to Liverpool in 2019.
"I would like to see Mauricio Pochettino return." ⚪️ 🔙@ChrisCowlin believes it was wrong to sack the former Spurs boss in the first place pic.twitter.com/oUFx4PTIVm
— Football Daily (@footballdaily) March 20, 2023
Pochettino’s love story with Tottenham ended a few months after that near Cinderella-like run in Europe. Since then, he has managed Paris Saint-Germain and acquired the taste of winning trophies. But the 51-year-old is currently unemployed and waiting for an approach from a top club.
Tottenham might be the suitable destination for Pochettino, who can ignite the fire in some players who are not fulfilling their potential. But Spurs will have to compete with Chelsea, with the Blues also considering signing him. But Tottenham can potentially tug at Pochettino’s heartstrings and get him back to the club.
Luis Enrique
From two former PSG managers to someone who has experienced the highest of highs at the club level. This tactician is also between jobs right now, with many clubs showing interest in him. The next name on the list is Luis Enrique.
Like Pochettino, Enrique is a target for Chelsea. So the north London club cannot stop intertwining with the Blues. But if Graham Potter manages to steady the ship at Stamford Bridge, Tottenham might have a clear run at the Spaniard.
🚨There is also a belief that Luis Enrique could have enough pedigree and personality to convince Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane to sign a new deal, with Spurs still optimistic the striker will stay.
👨🏻💻[@TomAllnutt_ via @TimesSport]#THFC | #COYS pic.twitter.com/EyX8Sjx2Tv
— Last Word On Spurs (@LastWordOnSpurs) March 14, 2023
The 52-year-old has experienced phenomenal success at the club level, delivering a historic treble at FC Barcelona. The Blaugrana won every trophy there was to lift over half a dozen years ago with the experienced coach in charge. And Levy should go all out to bring him on board at the club, considering his trophy-winning pedigree.
In addition, Enrique will set Tottenham up to play a beautiful, eye-catching brand of football. And that might help him win fans over, with many not liking the way the north London giants currently turn out on the pitch. So the Spanish tactician ticks a lot of boxes and should be one of the front-runners for the job.
Thomas Frank
From three managers who have experienced a great degree of success during their careers to one who has yet to even take up a top job. But Thomas Frank is a coach with a blossoming name, with his stock rising with every passing month. And approaching him will mean Tottenham will coincidentally interweave with another club from the capital.
Nonetheless, the Dane is a young manager with fresh ideas who can bring a lot to the table for Tottenham. More importantly, he has shown that he can work with a miserly budget, relative to a big-name club. And that ability to make a team play as more than a sum of its parts might help Levy align his ethos with Frank.
🗣️ "I don't know how many teams, in the last five years, have gone 12 games unbeaten."
Thomas Frank has hailed Brentford's recent run as 'an unbelievable achievement', following their 1-0 defeat to Everton 🐝⤵️ pic.twitter.com/ARFXhXn4Ci
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) March 12, 2023
The Brentford boss has done wonders with the Bees, making them a mainstay in the Premier League. And he might even deliver European qualification by the time the 2022/23 season ends. More importantly, the 49-year-old is tactically versatile and can adapt to a game’s situation as required.
But the Chelsea connection does not seem to disappear, with the Blues also interested in Frank. However, Tottenham, with potential top-four qualification, should be able to convince the Danish tactician that they are the best next step for him, especially with Chelsea unlikely to finish in the top four.
